MAP49: The Catacombs (PlayStation Doom)

MAP49: The Catacombs is the forty-ninth level of the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn versions of Doom, and the nineteenth level of the Doom II episode. It is based on the original MAP22: The Catacombs, with modifications made to adapt the map to the consoles' limitations. The author of the original map is American McGee.

Essentials
Take the shotgun in front of you if needed and lower the green marble lift next to it then ride this up to the central area. Kill the chaingunners on the compass platform ahead (on Ultra Violence (UV) skill level) and then run across to the platform. Lower the lion-faced block to the north-west and ride it up. Head over the lava pool and up the stairs, then follow the path round to a metal structure. Go round to the south side of this structure and open the door to find a teleporter. Go through it and pick up the blue skull key.

Use the narrow walkway here to get back to the compass platform, then lower the baron-faced marble block to the north-east and follow it down to another room. Open the blue door in front of you and press the switch behind it to lower the silver bars nearby. Head into the arched tunnel and turn left at the evil eye to drop into a small passage. Press the switch in front of you to open a wall to the east. Go through it to find two more switches; the south switch opens the wall you just went through, while the north switch lowers a metal platform at the other end of the tunnel. Press the north switch and ride the metal platform up to the red skull key.

Follow the small passage round and open the wall at the end to return to the silver bars, which have shut behind you. Go down the passage next to the arched tunnel to find a switch at the end; kill the chaingunners that ambush you and press the switch to open the silver bars, then go through them before they shut again. Backtrack to the compass platform and lower the satyr-faced marble block to the south-east, then ride this up to find a room with a red door. Open it, kill any chaingunners behind it and step through to find the exit door. Go through this and flip the switch at the end of the tunnel to finish the level.

Other points of interest
West of the compass platform is a ledge with a rocket launcher (or two in multiplayer). To reach it, use the lion-faced marble block to enter the north-west room, but instead of dropping into the lava turn right and flip the switch on the east wall. This will raise a bridge from the compass platform to the ledge.

From the aforementioned switch, face north to see a berserk pack on a narrow ledge. Run off the platform you are standing on to get to it.

Secrets

 * 1) In the northwest corner of the starting room, there is a marble wall with a demon face texture. Open it to reveal a secret room with armor and a box of rockets. On Hurt Me Plenty (HMP) and Ultra Violence (UV) skill levels, the room also contains a spectre and a soulsphere. (sector 31)
 * 2) On the southern wall of the starting room, there are five firesticks. Press use on the green firestick to lower a floor to your right (sector 12) that leads to a plasma gun and a teleporter to the compass platform. The room also contains a number of chaingunners.
 * 3) Immediately after picking up the red skull key, open the wall with the demon face texture to your right. (sector 107) Behind it is a teleporter to secret #2.

Bugs
The chaingunners behind the red door are blind, and will not see the player unless they are injured or a player steps through the door. This is probably due to an anomaly in the level's REJECT table and also occurs in the PC version.

Comparison of versions
A number of changes were made to this level compared to the PC version.

Room design

 * All switches use a red/green light on silver wall texture (, known as on PC). The switch that lowers the platform to the red key starts in the on position, to distinguish it from other switches in the same room.
 * The "entrance door" has a different texture.
 * There are fewer "stalactite" lights in secret #1.
 * Secret #2 is slightly wider to accommodate the player's increased radius.
 * The staircase leading to the north-western corner of the level has fewer steps.
 * The hanging torso texture in the northern room has been removed, along with the pools of blood in front of it.
 * There are three girders above the nukage north of the central platform instead of four.
 * The exit room has four steps on either side instead of five, and its walls are metal instead of marble.

Monster placement

 * Revenants are replaced with chaingunners.
 * In the PC version of the level, the western-most room contains a baron of Hell on UV and a Hell knight on Hurt Me Plenty (HMP). In the console versions, these are replaced with a Hell knight on UV and two chaingunners on HMP.

Other differences

 * An extra four shotgun shells are added by the shotgun in the starting room.

Music
The map uses the following music tracks:

Player spawns
This level contains five spawn points:
 * 1) facing east. (thing 71)
 * 2) facing east. (thing 72)
 * 3) facing east. (thing 73)
 * 4) facing east. (thing 74)
 * 5) facing east. (thing 77)

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level: